Friday, December 28, 2007

Former Pakistan Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto was assassinated just days before Pakistan parliamentary election.

A sad and tragic end to another famous political family.Like the Kennedys and Ghandis, she has seen tragic and turbulent years and eventually met a violent end herself.

Her father was toppled from power and hanged by the man who grabbed power from him.She was ousted from power twice with allegations of corruption and abuse of power.Her husband was sent to prison for corruption. One brother died under suspicious circumstances, suspected of being murdered, in his home in Paris.Another brother was assassinated while on a political campaign trail in Pakistan.Benazir, undaunted, continue the fight to save Pakistan from the militants.She paid it with her life, adding another chapter to Islamic militancy and madness.

Will her children pursue the same course like she did after father ?

The end of another cursed political dynasty. What's next for Pakistan ?

Saturday, December 22, 2007

I have just finished reading Zaid Ibrahim's 'In Good Faith'. An explicitly honest analysis of the damning truth of the socio-political structure in this country. An admission, from an inside man, of the pseudo-interpretation of the social contract, perpetuated by those desirous of keeping the gravy train on track and on an infinite journey, more often than not, for pecuniary advantage and using hegemonic inculcation to subdue the minorities through coercion and consent.

The first Prime Minster, the late Tungku Abdul Rahman, in his book the 'Viewpoint', said "While I warmly welcome help for the bumiputras, I deplore any act that is likely to divide true Malaysians into two halves; division will benefit no-one.I have always said that this policy of"divide-and-rule" was a colonial practice, and with the era of colonialism behind us we should have seen an end of it.Yet "divide-and-rule" seems to linger on".

The discriminatory social contract should have been done with when it reached the end of its shelf life. However, the bumiputras, those in power and already spoilt by the easy picking have steadfastly refused to do away with this unfair and divisive policy. The iconic keris is a deplorable reminder to non-Malays not to toy with the idea of questioning the social contract.

Zahid, a Member of Parliament from the dominant ruling party, took a critical look at the various aspects of governance within the ambits of the bumiputra economic policy, Malay supremacy, economic mis-managment, rising religious intolerance, Islamisation of the country and encroachment of Sharia into the civil liberties of non-Muslims. His liberated views and forthrightness have given a breath of fresh air to many Malaysians. By the same token, I assume, it would have made him a pariah among his peers in UMNO. His views on some of the policies of government is diametrically opposed to those ossified by other leaders of his political party.As a lawyer with the biggest law firm in the country, he admits he had also benefited from the NEP, but would not lend his support to the perpetuation of such policy, which he thinks has a long-term negative side-effect on the bumiputras.A conclusion not far from the truth, as can be seen, from the failure to attain the 30% equity over the time frame initially given by the government. The NEP revivalists have unequivocally called for the NEP to be revivified without a time-frame.

Zahid must be the first elected representative in UMNO who was bold enough to go against the grain.An ideology that may make the top and middle echelon of the party very uncomfortable.Those before him that had fallen from grace, like Anwar Ibrahim, had been out of personal conflicts and power struggle, not differences of ideology. If there were more Malays like him in UMNO, this country would see a more progressive society.The unfortunate thing is, most Malays like him were not in UMNO.

The book was lucidly written, honest and splendidly readable.I would suggest every member of UMNO in particular and the Malaysian adult public in general to read this book. It was an unexpected surprise from a well-to-do and politically well-connected Malay.

Friday, December 14, 2007

Do they deserved it? Yes. I still think they should be charged for treason instead of ISA.I am not a great fan of the ISA, but they have been given ample warning, they pushed their luck, lied in their teeth and expect the government to maintain equanimity.The five Hindraf's masterminds deserved what they get.If others want to worship the Western form of democracy, its their business, if America think they have the best system of government, its their business, our business is to keep the peace in this country.What's the point of freedom if the country is in turmoil, if blood had to be shed for the price of freedom.

Some say they have the right to demonstrate as it is part of the democratic system. Malaysians are matured and responsible, but recent events had shown otherwise.It shows the true psyche of some Malaysians, who are prepared to use violence, to send their message home.Given free reins, they would want to demonstrate every week.

Many foreigners believed in the Hindraf's propaganda.One so called celebrated Indian poet, who claimed to have stayed in Malaysia for seventeen years, wrote in her blog that the Malaysian government practised apartheid, that's why she fled back to India. Below are part of the derisive article she wrote;

"Last week, the simmering resentments of a nation under a formal apartheid exploded. The constitution of Malaysia explicitly privileges the Malay Muslim majority’s access to opportunity, and indeed claim to the nation itself, and the inherent racism of this sentiment is one that trickles down through all sectors of society. The superficial image of multicultural harmony that it had somehow managed to convince the world of has begun to fray in no uncertain terms"

In an interview with an Indian newspaper, DNA, the celebrated poet, Sharanya Manivanna said;

In April 2006, while still a student in Kuala Lumpur, I wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on my blog (sharanyamanivannan.blogspot.com), calling upon the Indian government to speak out on this issue of clear religious and ethnic discrimination in the same way that it had responded to the Danish cartoons parodying Prophet Mohammed.

“I wrote that letter because what is happening in Malaysia is nothing less than formal apartheid. The fact that its Tourism Board promotes a picture postcard image of multi-culturalism is rather audacious. You have to understand that I say all this as a person who loves Malaysia, but who was forced to leave.

“Last year, my grandfather, a former High Commissioner, had a passport thrown at his face and was shouted at by a Malay officer at the Malaysian Consulate in Chennai! I myself have been harassed at Malaysian immigration checkpoints on countless occasions, while always travelling legally. And after one particularly bad interrogation at immigration, I knew that if I did not make the choice to leave, I would probably be deported. I think I was right, considering the events of the past few days.”

I posted a comment on her blog, which she didn't allow for reasons only known to her.Anyway, it's her prerogative.Below are my comment;

Comment I posted on Sharanya's blog.

Dear Sharanya,

"You painted a wrong picture of a country which is more tolerant toward other minority races compared to many other countries including India.

The Malays shared political power with the Chinese and Indians, which they don't have to.With the Chinese it makes more sense because they are big minority, with the Indians they really don't have to, if they want to be nasty and unfair.

The few instigators, including the shithead called Utayakumar, are doing great injustice to the peaceful Indian community by instigating them to break the law and go against the government.He is suffering from serious inferiority and persecution complex and a danger to his own community and the nation.

He should be locked up.

If you think Malaysia was so bad,why did you stay for seventeen years? Do you have to wait that long to find out?"

December 5, 2007 9:44 PM

The following was her reasons for not posting the many comments that she thinks too derisory to deserve her attention;"My blog is my space, not a forum. It is my prerogative to moderate comments through, or not. I have switched off anonymous comments because here’s the difference between you (you know who you are) and me: I put myself out there, and you hide behind namelessness and shifting IP addresses. If you can’t be bothered to read a post properly before leaving a comment which accuses me of the exact opposite of a statement I’ve made, are hateful or make inappropriate personal attacks I may choose to not spend my energy on responding to your comment. Oh, and just because you read my blog doesn’t mean you know me. Just because you went to college or kindergarten with me doesn’t mean you know me. Just because I’m friends with your ex doesn’t mean you know me. Just because you’ve sat next to me on a plane or a train doesn’t mean you know me. Just because you’re related to me doesn’t mean you know me."

But she found it appropriate to post the following;posted by Sharanya Manivannan @ 10:31 AM

Awesome work. During my recent visit to Malaysia, I had chance to talk to many Indians and all said how they were being marginalized by the Malays. I also talked to some Chinese businessmen who privately admitted the same.

The US-Malaysia free trade pact is in limbo because of NEP. I suggest you mobilize folks to write to the Senators at the US foreign affairs committee and see if you an organize a hearing. This will give pressurize the US government to act. But also give wider coverage to the issue in the US. My 2 cents.

A journalist Bala from Junior Vikatan told about your blog. I read your comments. I felt deeply impressed. I had posted it in various forums, includingwww.indiainteracts.comwhere I write often.Yours is the only brave voice about Malaysian Tamils plght. N.NandhivarmanGeneral Secretary Dravida Peravai

Dynamite interview, Sharanya, bravo! Malaysia's Imigresen officers have been trained to sniff out dangerous DNA. If they let you in on a long-term basis you might REPRODUCE and overwhelm this poor benighted country with beautiful, intelligent, and brave progeny - and none but the enlightened can appreciate those qualities! :-)

That's probably the crappiest excuse I have came across for a long long time.Goddammit, you have no more right to privacy the moment you attack or criticise another person, country or even animal.The privilege is not yours alone, others have the right to do the same. They have the right to defend themselves. The legality of your claim sucks.

As Malaysians we have the right to defend our country.If your blog is not a forum,why post such hard hitting article. Sorry! girl, you have lost your rights to privacy.You are standing on weak ground.You should stand by what you say and prove it to the world that you are right in your presumptions and allegations of apartheid in Malaysia.

Monday, December 3, 2007

Darfur, is where it is.That's where genocide and ethnic cleansing existed.That's where Muslims killed Muslims.That's where government appointed militia raped and killed black African Muslims.

In Malaysia ? No.It's only a figment of imagination of the devil incarnate, P.Uthayakumar, a member of the law fraternity ,treacherous,deceitful and unpatriotic.A pathological liar,a snake in the grass, seeking personal glory at the expense of the nation.

He is now going international to seek recognition of his journey of self-glorification.

Does he really care about the plight of the percieved persecution of the Indian Tamils? If he does, shouldn't he stays in Malaysia and fight for their rights with the government.

What can India,Britain,America or any other country,for that matter, do to help the Indian Tamils in Malaysia ?

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Thousands of Sudanese protested on Friday in Khartoum, Sudan, calling for the execution of a British teacher convicted of insulting Islam for letting her students name a teddy bear Muhammad.(Abd Raouf/The Associated Press)In Sudan, demonstrators call for execution of British teacher

NAIROBI: Hundreds of demonstrators in Khartoum, Sudan's capital, poured into the streets on Friday demanding the execution of a British teacher who was convicted of insulting Islam because her class of 7-year-olds named a teddy bear Muhammad.

The protesters, some carrying swords, screamed, "Shame, shame on the U.K.!" and "Kill her, kill her by firing squad." They were calling for the death of Gillian Gibbons, the teacher who was sentenced on Thursday to 15 days in jail. Under Sudanese law, she could have spent 6 months behind bars and received 40 lashes.Full story...

I am a Muslim and I shudder to think that my fellow Muslims can be so shamefully ignorant of the teachings of their own religion and behaved in the most disgraceful and appalling ways.

With a government they deserved, the people of Sudan are doomed to this act of barbarism for many generations to come.A misconstrued and misguided interpretations of Islamic practices by half-baked imams,mullahs and those stupid enough to think they knew enough to dispense advices to people ill-equipped to think for themselves.

Can you blame the non-Muslims for the fear,anxiety and condemnation of the religion?

What about the Muslims who took up the name Mohammad, are they desecrating the Prophet's name, should all of them be executed ?